ARF EEP SHOULD FOCUS ON TANGIBLE DELIVERABLES TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CHALLENGES: EXPERTS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- The Experts and Eminent Persons (EEP) Group of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) needs to consider more proactive and creative approaches in finding actionable deliverables to address global challenges and crises in the current geopolitical landscape. 

Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia chairman Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah said the group can no longer afford its business-as-usual approach.

Instead, it should streamline the necessary tools and frameworks to focus on tangible deliverables.

Maximising operability and utility should be the key objective, he said. 

“It would be a disservice to the goals and aspirations of the EEP group if we do not seriously contemplate the challenging geopolitical realities that underlie our conversations here today,” he said in his opening remarks at the closed-door 17th Meeting of the ARF EEP group here Tuesday.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mohd Faiz  and South Korea’s ARF EEP, Dr Choi Yoon Jung.

Mohd Faiz said ASEAN must chart its next phase with clarity and courage.

“This year, ASEAN will adopt the 20-year ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a long-term strategic document that we hope will provide ASEAN with the foresight and political resolve to steer the region towards a future that is resilient, innovative, dynamic and people centred by 2045.

“Most importantly, 2025 also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN Community. This is a milestone that invites both reflection and renewal,” he said.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Monday, said the two-day meeting is aimed at finding actionable insights to strengthen regional peace and security through preventive diplomacy.

Held in conjunction with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, the meeting serves as a key platform under the ARF framework for policy experts and thought leaders to share insights and generate practical recommendations to enhance regional stability.

The ARF EEP, consisting of government official and non-government representatives, is a Track 1.5 diplomacy that meets annually to provide advice and recommendations to ARF officials.

-- BERNAMA